For some couples who have difficulty conceiving, the problem may be related to their high cholesterol levels. The U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development pointed out on the 20th that in addition to known factors such as advanced age and obesity, high cholesterol may also lead to poor “pregnancy” in couples preparing for pregnancy. Researchers at the Institute reported in the American Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism that they studied 501 couples with pregnancy plans between 2005 and 2009 who did not have infertility problems, including women aged between 18 and 44, and men aged older than 18. The participating couples all had blood drawn at the beginning of the study to measure their cholesterol levels. During the one-year follow-up study, 347 couples were successful in getting pregnant, 54 couples failed and another 100 couples dropped out of the study. The researchers found that as long as one of the couples had high cholesterol, the time it took to get pregnant increased, meaning it was more difficult to get pregnant; if both couples had high cholesterol levels, it was even more difficult to get pregnant. Study first author Enrique? From the data we obtained, it appears that high cholesterol levels not only increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, but also reduce a couple’s chances of getting pregnant,” said Sistemann in a statement. Our study suggests that couples hoping to get pregnant may need to keep their cholesterol levels within an acceptable range to improve their success rate. This also helps safeguard their health.”